2026 California Bullards Bar Reservoir Kokanee Research Project
April 1 - 5, 2026
Official Rules
This is a length-based fishing event to be held on New Bullards Bar Reservoir in California. Refer to the map attached to this event for the official boundaries.
The 2026 Bullards Bar Reservoir Kokanee Research Project - is an online event run through Angler’s Atlas website and the mobile app MyCatch. The app is available for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).
First time users must set up a free Angler’s Atlas account before entering an event, either through the app or on AnglersAtlas.com/sign-up. Here is a helpful video.
This event is free to enter.
Anyone can participate in the 2026 Bullards Bar Reservoir Kokanee Research Project - and it is for all ages. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches
Anglers 15 and younger must be fishing with an adult.
Each contestant must have a valid California fishing license for the region they are fishing in or otherwise be exempt from needing one.
Catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app for approval.
In order for catches to be sent properly, you must use the same login email and password for both the Angler’s Atlas website and the MyCatch app.
Contestants must register for this event through the Angler’s Atlas website or the MyCatch app. We recommend anglers practice using the app before the event begins. Here is a link to some helpful videos to familiarize yourself with the app.
You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event.
By participating in this event your name may be publicly visible.
Protecting anglers’ privacy is a priority, and any location data collected during the event will not be released to the public. Our promise to anglers is “Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret”. See below for further details.
This event is a separate, standalone fun event and is separate from Kokanee Power’s Bullards Bar Kokanee Derby. For those anglers that are participating in KP’s Bullards Bar derby, this will be a great opportunity to upload your pre-fishing catches & your derby day catches for a chance to win a prize.
This event is for Kokanee only.
In order for each catch to qualify, a photograph of the fish on a measuring device must be taken using the MyCatch app (ie. photos cannot be uploaded from a photo gallery or other source).
All contestants must have GPS/location services enabled on your cell phone for their catches to qualify. Your location data will be protected. For more information, see details below.
This is a total length measurement event, not fork length. The total length of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail (see picture below). The tail can be naturally pinched to the width of the measuring board.
Each fish must be entered only once. Fish should be entered as soon as possible after catching and catches must be recorded at the fishing site.
The nose of the fish must be at the start or zero mark on all measuring devices.
The entry photo must be taken from a birds-eye view looking down on the fish.
The mouth is allowed to be open, closed, or anywhere in between, so long as the fish meets all other requirements.
All fish must be measured with the right side down.
If you measure your fish entry on a commercially produced bumpboard, these rules must be followed:
The nose of the fish must be visibly touching the bump end of the board,
The fish must be placed on top of the board and
The entire fish showing the head and tail must be visible in the measurement photo. We must also see past the head and tail in the photo.
Expandable (sliding) bump boards will not be permitted if the fish is longer than where the slide starts on the board.
If you measure your fish using a tape measure, these rules must be followed:
The fish nose and the start of the tape must be aligned by placing both against a solid edge.
The fish's nose must be aligned with the zero mark on the tape,
The tape measure must be beside the fish, not on top of the fish.
The fish cannot be on top of the tape measure or cover it in any way
The entire fish showing the head and tail and past the tail must be visible in the measurement photo.
Do not use fabric or flexible measuring tapes. *Rapala roll out tapes will be treated as a tape measure*
During the entry process, you will be prompted to enter another photo called the Hero Shot. For this event, it is optional but encouraged
A third option in the entry procedure is a video which is not required for this event, but may be used to demonstrate the release of a fish
All catches will be credited to the last physical line on the measuring device that the tail touches or crosses. If a fish is longer than the angler's bump board or tape measure, the longest measurement on the board or tape measure will be counted.
Event organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They also have the right to ask for a picture sent to them of your measuring device.
The Organizers review and judge all fish. Fish only appear on leaderboards after they have been reviewed and approved by the organizer. To see if your fish was recorded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). Here is a YouTube link showing how to submit a catch on the app.
If an entry submission comes in where a measuring rule is not followed, the fish may still be approved but a length penalty will be applied. The penalty will apply to the observable length of the fish at the discretion of the Organizer. The set penalty amount will be 1 inch. The entry may also be rejected.
The app will work even when out of cell range, however for catches to qualify they must be synced with Angler’s Atlas server. To learn how to submit a catch into the event you can watch this MyCatch video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA
Protecting anglers’ privacy is a priority, and any location data collected during the event will not be released to the public. Our promise to anglers is “Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret”. See below for further details..
The 2026 Bullards Bar Reservoir Kokanee Research Project boundaries are the confines of Bullards Bar Reservoir, California. See the map attached to this event for the boundaries.
The event runs from:
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 starting at 6:30:00 am Pacific time through to
Sunday April 5, 2026 at 3:00:00 pm Pacific time
To qualify, all catches made must be synchronized with the Angler’s Atlas server by Monday April 6, 2026 by 3 pm.
Once the event concludes, a full review process of the catches will be managed by the organizer. Results will be announced no later than Thursday April 9, 2026 and will be final.
At the discretion of the organizer, the duration may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
Prizes to be awarded are:
1st Place Longest Kokanee wins $100 in Kokanee Bucks
1st Place Shortest Kokanee wins $100 in Kokanee Bucks
Blind Bogey wins $100 in Kokanee Bucks
Categories include: a prize for the Longest Kokanee, the Shortest Kokanee and the Blind Bogey (which is the closest length to [longest fish length + shortest fish length] divided by 2).
A participant can only win one prize. Prizes will be picked in the order they are listed above. In case a participant wins the longest and the shortest, the award will be for the longest and the same goes for the Blind Bogey.
Awards will be announced on or by April 9, 2026 and anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the event registration process.
In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the person who entered the tied fish first. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the highest number of fish reported.
Anglers have up to 60 days to claim their prize. Anglers that do not claim their prize within this period forfeit their prize.
By registering and participating in the 2026 Bullards Bar Reservoir Kokanee Research Project, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in these event event rules.
All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel. At no time will fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) be allowed to be entered. Fish cannot be snagged, netted, speared etc. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed.
Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves. This is an individual event, so you cannot enter as a partnership or team. Anglers are free to fish alone or with other event or non-event anglers, but each registered angler may only enter their own fish.
Each contestant must have in their possession a valid California fishing license for their respective jurisdiction or be exempt under regulations of their jurisdiction.
Each contestant must conform to the general sport fishing rules and regulations that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. You must follow all fishing regulations pertaining to possession and bag limits.
All federal, state and local laws must be abided by.
All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this event are to be referred to the organizer or designated representative. The organizer for this event is Larry Abernathy and can be reached by email at [email protected]. Their decision will be final in all cases.
The interpretation and enforcement of the rules is at the sole discretion of the organizer. The organizer may change rules or impose sanctions as they deem appropriate, including but not limited to disqualifications, forfeiture of prizes, and prohibition from competing in future events. All decisions made by the organizer are final.
Abuse of event officials and volunteers will not be tolerated.
Any angler found to be cheating will be disqualified from the event. Angler’s Atlas / MyCatch also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.
Any protest against another participant not complying with the rules must be brought to the organizer’s attention before the end of the event, and a $100.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.
It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike event, and contestants are reminded the spirit of the rule will factor into judgments by the organizer.
Participants are responsible for their own safety, actions, and property at all times.
All participants must follow boating safety regulations in your jurisdiction.
All photo and video submissions may be used by Angler's Atlas or our event partners for future use.
By registering for and participating in this event, participants acknowledge that fishing and boating activities involve inherent risks, including but not limited to injury, illness, death, property damage, adverse weather, water hazards, equipment failure, and the actions of other participants.
Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation in this event and related activities.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, participants hereby release, waive, and discharge Angler’s Atlas, MyCatch, event organizers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising out of or related to participation in the event, including claims arising from negligence.
Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the above parties from any claims brought by third parties arising from the participant’s actions or conduct during the event.
Participants are solely responsible for their own safety, equipment, compliance with all laws and regulations, and for securing appropriate insurance coverage if desired.
“Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret” — This is our primary commitment to anglers who report their catches through MyCatch. So what does this mean in practice?
Angler’s Atlas does not release MyCatch GPS data to the public. It is treated as confidential and is only provided to fisheries researchers under strict conditions.
Every research team we work with who receives location data must sign a data sharing agreement that sets the terms of use for the data consistent with 7A.
Data is anonymized before it is provided to the researcher.
Researchers agree not to share the data with anyone else.
Researchers cannot use the data for any purpose other than the research specified in the agreement.
Exact location data cannot be published as part of the scientific research. Instead, it has to be generalized to a larger region so the location cannot be reverse engineered.
Angler’s Atlas may release data to a law enforcement agency if compelled to do so under court order.
Events 
Places 
Fish 
Research 
Sign in 
New Catch Log 
New Trip Log 
